Parway cable outlet



April 12, G. GORT v PARKWAY CABLE OUTLET Filed June 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR QOri B? ATTORNEY April 12, 1938. G. GORT PARKWAY CABLE OUTLET Filed June 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY p QT 57 ATTORNW Patented Apr. 12, 1938 PARKWAY CABLE OUTLET Godfrey Gort, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Western Railroad Supply Company, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 25, 1937, Serial No. 150,241

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a parkway cable outlet used with railway signal track circuits, which is generally referred to as a bootleg.

In devices of this kind the cable is brought up through a 'hollow standard and connected to a suitable fitting mounted at the top of the standard. At the same time, the outgoing wires, such as bond wires, running to the track, are

1:)" attached to this same fitting. In this present application, where the term cable is used, this is intended to'include both the incoming and outgoing cables from the fitting.

, The principal object of my invention is to :5 provide a new form of fitting to which the cables may be readily and securely attached.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fitting in which there is no opening in the top of the cap which is used to cover the cable connections to the fitting.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a simple and compact design of fitting which is economical to manufacture yet efficient in its operating characteristics.

Other objects will appear to one skilled in the use of such devices, from a reading of the specification taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of one form of my improved type of fitting or cable outlet.

Figure 2 is a view looking down on the top of the fitting with the cap removed.

Figure 3 is a view of the top part of Figure 1,

1-, looking from left to right.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modified form of fitting, the cable connections thereto, however, being substantially the same as in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 68 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 8, but showing a modified form of construction.

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the squeeze 13 connector shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 9 is a view of Figure 8 looking from left to right.

Coming now to the drawings, wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts in the vato rious views, I is a base which may be variable in shape or dimensions to suit the conditions where the bootleg is to be installed. To the base is attached a hollow standard 2 in any satisfactory manner as by set screws 3, the lower end 55 of the standard 2 preferably engaging a flanged rial seat 4 on the base I.

end of the hollow standard 2 is a fitting having a flat portion 5 and a flange 6. The flange 6 is slotted at 1 and has a pair of lugs 8 and .l-adapted to be drawn together by a bolt assembly III to clamp the flange 6 securely to the upper end of the stem. The fitting may be insulated from the standard 2 in any suitable manner such as a cup-shaped insulator I I.

Extending upwardly from the flat or plate portion 5 of the fitting is a riser l2 preferably made integral with the plate portion 5. The riser is provided with one or more transversely arranged holes, the number being sufi'icient to accommodate the necessary number of cables that notches l6,

and a slot l'l extending all the way from the periphery to the central bore l5. The other portion of the transverse holes in the riser l2 are threaded to receive a threaded member or nut Hi.

It will be clear from Figures 1, 6, and 7 that the end of the collapsible or squeeze member l4 extends beyond the tapered portion of the hole into the threaded portion of the riser so that the elongated nut l8 will engage the end of the connector M at a distance from where the tap ered hole in the riser begins, so that the end of the nut will always be in engagement with the :2."

end of the connector I 4.

As shown in Figure 1, the parkway cable I!) is brought up through the standard 2 and passes through a longitudinal hole in the nut l8 and into the bore 15 of the connector l4. Setting up or screwing in the nut 18 against the end of the connector 14 causes this to collapse or squeeze together so as to securely grip the end of the parkway cable 19 which has been bared for a suificient length to make the necessary electrical contact.

The hole 20 through which the parkway cable l9 passes may be filled with a suitable filling which may include an insulating compound to prevent water from getting into the standard 2.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the riser 12 has fastened thereto, in addition to the bootleg or parkway cable l9, outgoing cables Zl and 22 which may rail ends.

be bond wires running to adjacent These are fastened to the riser I2 Attached to the upper c a pump log carrying the parkway cable.

in the same manner as the parkway cable IS, the sizes of these fittings, of course, being made to suit the sizes of the respective cables used. Covering the cable connections to the riser I2, is a cap 23 which is fastened to the fitting by means of a suitable fastening in the shape of a cotter pin 24 passing through suitably arranged lugs 25 and over the flange portion 26 of the cap 23.

In Figure 4, I have shown a different style of fitting from that shown in Figure 1, in that the plate 5 is provided with ears 2'! and 28 having holes therein to receive screws for mounting the plate to another hollow support member, such as In this construction, the cable or cables are fastened to the riser l2 in the same manner as in Figure 1. However, the cap 23 is fastened to the riser !2 by means of screws 29, two being indicated, on opposite sides of the riser. In addition, the hole 20 may be formed differently than in Figure l to better receive the insulating compound for sealing the exit hole of the parkway cable l9.

By reference to Figure 6, it will be seen that the nuts 18 have a longitudinal hole therethrough to allow the respective cables to be passed therethrough into the connector I4, it being understood that the cables are passed into position before the nuts i8 are set up into locking position.

In Figure '7, I have shown a construction in which the cables may be assembled to the riser l2 in the opposite direction from that shown in Figure 6, so that the cost of providing hollow nuts I8 is eliminated, and since the longitudinal movement of the connectors I4 is very small when the connectors are properly placed in position in the riser, the small longitudinal movement caused by setting up the nuts l8 will move the cables only slightly from their initially set position.

I claim:

1. A cable outlet including a member through which the cable is brought, a fitting mounted on said member and having an opening therein to permit the passage of the cable, said fitting having an integral upwardly projecting part having a plurality of transverse holes therein, each hole having a tapered portion and a threaded portion, a tapered collapsible connector for each hole having a longitudinal bore to receive a cable and fitting in the tapered portion of the holes, and a nut for each hole having a threaded part to fit the threads in said holes and to engage one end of said tapered connector in the hole to force it to collapse sufficiently to grip a cable inserted into the bore of the connector.

2. A cable outlet as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that the nuts are hollow so the cables can be passed therethrough into the bores of their respective connectors before setting up the nuts.

3. A cable outlet including a member through which the cable is brought, a fitting mounted on said member and having an opening therein to permit the passage of the cable, said fitting having an integral upwardly projecting part having a plurality of transverse holes therein each hole being internally threaded at one end and internally tapered at the other end, and separate means located in each hole for fastening a cable therein, said means comprising a threaded member adapted to be screwed into the threaded end of its cooperative hole, and a hollow split tapered member positioned in the tapered end of the hole and engaged by the end of said threaded member, the cable being adapted to be located in the hollow part of said split tapered member and gripped thereby when said threaded member is screwed against the end of said tapered member.

GODFREY GORT. 

